Prologue
Today is a good morning.
My name is Kazehiko Hanbe. I'm a first-year student at Harusei High School.
Honestly, life had been pretty good ever since I started high school. I had a girlfriend, lots of friends... everything seemed fine.
...At least, that's how it used to be—before my girlfriend, Ritsuka, broke up with me.
Ritsuka Fujimoto. She'd been my girlfriend since before the first semester started. But right after the first semester ended, she broke up with me. I still don't know why she wanted to break up. She never gave me a reason. But I chose to respect what she wanted.
And just like that... it was over.
Since then, we haven't spoken at all. Not once.
Then, after a while, I heard she'd already gotten a new boyfriend.
I guess... I just wasn't good enough for her, huh?
Well, at least I still had my friends, right?
...No. I didn't.
They all started avoiding me. Some even started hating me. And to this day... I still have no idea why. Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt someone? Did I make a huge mistake?
I kept thinking about it... but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember doing anything bad.
Then a thought crept into my mind—Ritsuka.
Could this all be her doing?
I didn't want to think badly of her. I really didn't. But reality kept saying otherwise.
One day, I accidentally overheard a girl talking... saying that Ritsuka had told everyone I did something horrible to her. That was the reason she broke up with me.
Horrible? What horrible thing did I ever do to her? I never laid a hand on her... never even raised my voice.
I cared about her. I put her first, always.
I ate lunch with her every day.
I visited her when she was sick.
I helped her whenever she needed anything.
And this... this is how she repaid me?
After the breakup, she spread lies about me to the whole school. Because of that, my life turned into hell.
People look at me like I'm trash now.
Some even bully me.
Why? Because they think I was abusive toward my girlfriend?
I swear... I never did anything like that. Not even once.
Ritsuka... does this make you happy? Are you smiling somewhere because you've ruined my life?
I can only keep asking myself... does my suffering bring her joy? Is it fun for her to spread these lies and watch my life fall apart?
I wish...
I wish all of this would just disappear.
I wish I could go back—to before I met her.
If I could do it all over again... I'd avoid her completely. I'd never get close. Then none of this would've happened.
God... if you can hear me...
Please... let me fix this mistake.
I'll do anything. I won't make the same error again... if you just let me undo this one thing.
I sighed and stared at the ceiling of my small room, rambling on and on in my head. Of course, nothing happened. There's no such thing as magic. No miracles.
After all that pointless imagining... I drifted off to sleep, preparing myself for yet another miserable day.
---
...
...
"KAZEHIKO! WAKE UP!"
"...Huh?"
"KAZEHIKO HANBE! WAKE UP! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR YOUR FIRST DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL!"
"What are you talking about, Mom? It's March 15th..."
"ARE YOU STUPID? IT'S JUNE 15TH! WAKE UP OR I'M COMING IN THERE WITH A FRYING PAN!"
"Huh? What... what do you mean, Mom? It's really March—"
I groggily reached for my phone beside my bed and checked the date...
"IT'S REALLY JUNE 15TH?!"
"OF COURSE IT IS, YOU IDIOT! DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD OR SOMETHING?!"
"Okay, okay, chill out, Mom! I'll get ready right away!"
"YOU BETTER! OR THIS FRYING PAN'S GOING STRAIGHT AT YOUR FACE!"
Still confused, I quickly got up and grabbed my uniform... which was strange. The uniform looked brand new—like I'd never worn it before. Odd... but I didn't have time to think about it. I put it on as fast as I could.
No time for breakfast. I bolted straight out the door and ran towards Harusei High School.
It was the first day of high school after all—it would be bad if I showed up late.
But there was something weird... something I couldn't shake from my mind.
Did I really... travel back to my first day of high school?
Did my wish... actually come true?
Well... I guess I'll find out when I get to school.
Let's hope... this is real.